Light beam target mechanism



Nov. 17, 1953 E. e. HENRY 2,659,606

r LIGHT BEAM TARGET MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 18, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet l ttar'ngy.

E. G. HENRY Nov. 17, 1953 LIGHT BEAM TARGET MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed NOV. 18, 1946 Nov. 17, 1953 HENRY 2,659,606

LIGHT BEAM TARGET MECHANISM Original Filed Nov. 18, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet5 SHOTS HITS 49 43 jaw/a 1710 r .EdF/e 6 77 6/19 Patented Nov. 17, 1953UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LIGHT BEAM TARGET MECHANISM Earle G. Henry,Wilmette, Ill., assignor to Raymond T. Moloney, Chicago, Ill.

Claims.

This invention pertains to photoelectric marksmanship apparatus of atype particularly, but not exclusively, adapted to utilization incoincontrolled amusement games, and the like, and the application is adivision of an application filed November 18, 1946, Serial No. 710,464,by Earle G. Henry and Leo L. Galinski, for improvements in PhotoelectricMarksmanship Apparatus, now Patent No. 2,586,330.

An important object is the provision of a moving photoelectric targetand novel mechanism for imparting a scrambled, irregular, meanderingmotion thereto, for the purpose of rendering more difficult andinteresting the exercise of skill in training the aiming piece or gunthereupon.

Additional objects are: the provision of target-actuating means in thenature of a mechanical unit afiording a complex driving motion for thetarget including oscillatory and reciprocatory components of movementfor the target; the provision of a dynamic stabilizing means forpreventing jerky target movements notwithstanding speed variations inthe scrambling action of the driving motion by which the travel of thetarget is rendered non-uniform so that the marksman cannot easilyanticipate the future positions of the target to correct his aim.

Still further objects relate to the provision of a mechanical movement,especially but not exclusively, suited for use with target devices, toprovide an irregular motion, and chiefly characterized by the use of anoscillating arm, a target member slidable thereon, a reciprocable armsupported in part to slide on the oscillatory arm and having a yieldabledriving connection with the target member to move the latter back andforth responsive to reciprocations of the reciprocatory arm, and adriving motor comon to both the oscillatory and reciprocable arms,together with an irregular-motion mechanism drivingly coupling the motorwith both the oscillatory and reciprocable arms for the purpose ofactuating the latter in their respective types of motion to produce aresultant compound or complex travel of the target member back and forthbetween opposite limits of horizontal displacement, as well as up anddown between opposite limits of vertical displacement.

Additional objects and aspects of novelty will appear as the followingdescription proceeds in view of the annexed drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross section taken lengthwise through the gamecabinet, showing the gun unit, the target-actuating mechanism and thetarget proper in elevation;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section through the game cabinet, showingthe gun unit and targetactuating mechanism in plan;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical cross section through the game cabinet,looking in the direction of lines 3-3 of Fig. 2, and showing the targetportion in elevation and parts of the targetactuating mechanism both inelevation and in section.

In Fig. 1, the relative disposition of the principal structural parts,including the gun l0, target II, and target-actuating means 15, is shownin relation to a cabinet 40 having a trough-like bed portion ii and anupright back cabinet section it being pointed out that in thesestructural views the power pack, amplifier, and control relay and othercircuit means are omitted for clarity.

The photoelectric target structure includes a vertical rod 45 upon whichslides a U-shaped housing 56 containing the photo cell 1 IA shielded bya suitably apertured target face I I3.

Target housing 46 has sufficient weight to tend to slide downwardly onrod 45, but it is normally urged upwardly by a long spring 41 on saidrod and bearing against the offset end 48 of a reciprocating arm d9,which offset end slides on the horizontally extending part adjoining thecurved portion of said rod, the end of said portion being fixed as at 50in the end of a horizontal sweep arm 5!.

Sweep arm 51 carries afiixed thereto the motor unit 15, which is of atype having a built-in speed reduction unit driving a vertical spindle52 journaled in said arm and rotating an irregular scrambling cam 53,seen better in Fig. 2, in view of which the following parts are nowdescribed.

At its left-hand end, Fig. 2, the sweep arm 51 is pivotally anchored ona vertical rod 54, so that the opposite or right-hand portion of saidsweep arm describes an arc in oscillatory or back and forth motionimparted thereto by means including a crank arm 55 pivotally connectedto a radius arm 55 which is in turn pivotally anchored as at 51, thecrank arm 55 rotating with spindle 58, which in turn is driven by pulley59, fast thereon, through belt drive 50 with the motor spindle 52 (seealso Fig. 1).

Near its outer or right-hand end, the sweep arm is provided with a crossarm (Figs. 2 and 3) on one end of which is carried a roller 5| whichrides on a metal plate 62 extending transverseiy of the cabinet troughon support 63.

On the opposite end of said cross arm 60 (Figs. 2 and 3) is astabilizing means including a friction drive wheel 65 journaled inbracket 66 and having rotatable therewith a large gear 61 (Fig. 3) whichin turn drives a pinion 68 fast with a flywheel 69; thus, as the sweeparm oscillates back and forth, the flywheel 69 is rapidly rotated by itsfriction drive and resists jerky alterations in movement of sweep whichother wise appear owing to play in driving components of productionembodiments of the game. V The foregoing oscillation of the sweep armaccounts for one component of motion of the target assembly, since thelatter is carried bysaid sweep arm through connection of ro'd 45 at itslower end with the arm as at 50. The other component of the complexmotion of the target is eifected through reciprocation of arm 4 9'(Fig.2), which exerts compression and relaxation eff forts at offset 48 onspring 41, thus elevating and lowering the target housing 46.

An irregular or scrambled motion is imparted to the reciprocating arm49sthrough the agency of an ojscillato ry drive arm (Fig. 2) pivotallyconnected thereto as at TI and having 'ap'iv'ot- I a l anchored end 12on an extension 13 from 'th' sweep arm, therebeing a cam roller T4between the said pivoted ends of arm Ill bearing against, theirregularly developed edge portions 53A, 53B, 53C of the scrambling cam53, which is smwiy rotated through the speed reduction means of motor15, it beingobserved that spring 4'! 'vse'r'ves'also to press said camroller into operativ'e engagement with the scrambling cam by'it's actionagainst the offset end 48 of arm 49,

I Thus the irregular cam drive imparts a nonuniform motion vertically tothe target unit, and owing to some compressibilitypermitted in springmeans "4'L there is some additional irregularity the upand downmove'mentofthe target unit, withthe result that it is very difii'cult topredict th position of the targetfrom time tQtill le.

'I,he foregoing target drive means and target structure is regarded asone of the units of the game and is considered to be one of theimportant noveljelements ofthe disclosure.

suit able light gun may be used with the :rovingtarget 'l lfthe gun I 0shown in Fig. 1 being of, a typeespecially adapted for use with thenovel target mechanism shown. The gun i0 is "not described in detailherein since it'does 'notperse constitute a part of the claimedinvention. For purposes of illustration, howeve p the gun Ill will beunderstood to contain 'a light'and shutter means (not seen) operabletoproject a beam or light upon the target II whe the gun ispre me Thetarget meansll llB moves both horizontally and vertically in anirregular fashion, as heretofore described, and the gun It] isaccordinglyadaptedto execute such movements responsive to themanipulationof two manual control wheels or knobs lz and 13 (Fig. 2).The wheel 12 affords the horizontalor azimuth sweep of the gun, whilethe wheel l3 produces the zenith or vertical aim. A gun of this type isdisclosedin detail in I}. 3. Patent No. ,586,330.

The photgelectric target cell HA is adapted to be connected, as byflexible conductors H4, to any suitabl amplifier means (not shown) forthe purpose of actuating the score registering means shown schematicallyin Fig. 1, to include a; rotatable dial HI behind a score screen H0(Fig. 3, also), and provided with a lamp H2 adapted to illuminateindicia (not seen) on the dial HI and project an image thereof throughlens means H3 onto screen I [0. A score-registering' device suitablefor'such cooperation with the photoelectric target means is fullyillustrated in U. S, Patent No. 2,281,262 to Breitenstein. A similarregister (not seen) is arranged behind another score screen I09 in thefront of the cabinet 42 (as in Fig. '3) and is adapted to be connectedin a circuit (not shown) for counting the number of shots. Thus themarksman is to be apprised of the number of shots taken and the numberof hits scored upon the irregularly travelingt'arget.

, It will now be ap arent that the objects of the invefltiof arerealized in one satisfactory embodiment consisting basically of anoscillatory sweep arm 5| carrying "its own power plant I5, 52, etc., areciproiiat'ory arm 49 carried by the oscillatory armandcoupled as atl0, 14 with the motor unit to be 'r'eci'procated thereby, a target arm45 carried by the sweep arm, a movable target unit ll, 46, etc.,slidable on the target arm, and a yieldably driving connection such asthe long compression spring 41 interposed between the recibrocato'y armand the target unit to impart movement to the latter in reaction to theback and forth movements of the reciprocatory arm, 50 that the targetunit moves linearly (up and down) and angularly (in a horizontal arc)simul- 'tanjeously. H

Moreover, it'willalso be now apparent that the travel of the target ischaracteristically a'com- ;ple'k motionmacle so by reason of therelatively irregular movement imparted to the reciprocatoryarm by thecam mean 53, '1-'012-l4; and the non-linear acceleration of the sweeparm produced by -the crank means 55,56, 51.

Thus, the novel target mechanism is seen to carry with it its own motiveunit, and at least 't'wdmechanism's for, producing irregular motioncomponents, togetherwith a dynamic stabilizing 'ujnit including'theinertial system 65-69 for suppressing unwantedcomponents to produc 'arelatively'smooth resultant'targetmotion.

7 'It is contemplated that changes may be 'erfe'ct'e'd in the form ofthe various parts of the structure specifically described forillustrative purposes, all without departing from the scope of theinvention "as defined in the following claims:

l. nphotoelectricmarksmanship apparatus, a loving target structureincluding a sweep arm, a motorcai i-ie'dby said arm, drive connectionseffectingoscillation of said'arm under power of said motor, "a target"carrying "rod movable with said arm,atarget'reciproc bie on said rod,'a'reciprocatingjdrive'afm m'civing in part, at least. loi'gitulliiiallyfdf saidr'odyand'a flexibl connectier; between said drivearm a'nd'targetfor' movingthe naer'respdnsive to reciprocatorymovemenrqor said drive arm, and means drivingly interconnectingsaidmotorand said drive arm for effecting scrambled reciprocatory movement of t'he'latt'r. v

I 2. In 'phdtoelectric marksmanship apparatus, a 'sw' parmmountedfor'oscillatory motion in an ap rexi ately "horizontal plane,a target arm carried by said sweep arm and projecting upwardl'y therefrom,a target unit mounted to ride up and down on said targetarm, areciprocatory drive-arm movable back and forth on said target arm,-motor means carried'by said sweep arm, and drivingconnectionsj betweensaid motor means, -said*sweep arm, and said drive arm for'moving thesweep Y. arm back and forth in oscillatory sweeps, and for movingsaiddrive arm backand forth, and means encircling said' target armfordrivingly interconnecting the target unit with said drive arm.

3. In target apparatus, means for traveling a target with complex motionand including a first arm movable back and forth in one plane, a secandarm movable back and forth on the first arm and in a direction at anangle to the movement of said first arm, a target arm projecting into avertical plane from said first arm, a target movable up and down on saidtarget arm, a coil spring encircling said target arm freely between saidtarget and an end portion of said second arm so as to be moved upwardly,at least, by movement of said second arm in one direction, said targetfollowing up and down movements of said spring, motor means carried bysaid first arm and including drive mechanism interconnecting operativelysaid first and second arms for back and forth motion thereof asaforesaid.

4. In target apparatus, a roving target including a horizontal sweeparm, a target arm connected to an end of the sweep arm opposite its axisof movement and projecting from the horizontal plane into a verticalplane, a reciprocating arm having an end member sliding on thehorizontal part of said target arm, a scrambling cam carried on saidsweep arm, lever means operable to oscillate said sweep arm, drivingconnection between said cam and reciprocating arm, motor means carriedby the sweep arm for actuating said lever means and rotating said camwhereby to eifect oscillatory sweep of said sweep arm and back and forthmovement of said reciprocatory arm, a target slidable up and down on thevertical portion of said target arm, a coil spring encircling saidtarget arm freely and having one end bearing upwardly against saidtarget and an opposite end bearing against said end member of thereciprocating arm such that advance of the latter pushes the spring andtarget upwardly, the target having weight to push the spring downwardlyupon retraction of the reciprocating arm, and a rotary stabilizer onsaid sweep arm and having a friction drive with stationary partsrelative to the sweep arm for imparting rotary drive to said stabilizerresponsive to sweeping of said arm.

5. In a target structure, a horizontal sweep arm, a vertical target armon said sweep arm remote from the sweeping axis thereof, a targetmovable back and forth on said target arm, a motor carried by said sweeparm, and driving mechanism interconnecting said motor, said sweep arm,and said target for causing the latter to move back and forth on thetarget arm with simultaneous back and forth sweep of the sweep arm, astabilizing flywheel carried on said sweep arm, and friction drive meansfor said flywheel and engageable with relatively stationary meansadjacent the path of sweep of the sweep arm for imparting rotary motionin reverse directions to the flywheel, depending upon the direction ofmovement of the sweep arm.

6. In target apparatus, an oscillatory target arm and means foroscillating same, and stabilizing means including a flywheel rotatableon said arm; means providing a stationary surface adjacent said arm, anda friction drive member for said flywheel and engageable with saidstationary surface means for rotation to impart rotary mo- 0 tion to theflywheel, depending upon the direction of movement of the target arm.

7. In a mechanical movement for producing irregular complex motion of atravelled object, a sweep member mounted for oscillatory travel, adriving motor carried by said sweep member; a reciprocating membercarried by said sweep member and mounted to reciprocate in a senseapproximately radial to the arc of travel of the sweep member; atravelled object and means supporting the same for travel with saidsweep member, and also for back and forth movement relative to the sweepmember; means providing a driving connection between said travelledobject and said reciprocating member to be moved back and forth by thelatter responsive to reciprocatory movements thereof; together withirregularmotion mechanism drivingly interconnecting both the sweepmember and the reciprocating member severally with said driving motorfor actuating the latter in their respective oscillatory andreciprocatory movements whereby to impart a complex resultant motion tothe travel of said object, which motion is irregular and a function ofboth the oscillatory and reciprocatory movements aforesaid.

8. Apparatus as defined in claim '7 and further characterized by theprovision of means mounting the sweep member for oscillatory movementand including a pivot for said sweep member, roller means supporting apart of said member for arcuate travel at a point radial of said pivot,and means providing a tracking surface on which said roller meanstravels.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 and further characterized by theprovision of stabilizing means for said sweep member and including aflywheel and means mounting the same for travel with said sweep memberand to rotate about an axis approximately radial to the axis of saidpivot; a drive wheel mounted to travel with said sweep member and rideon said tracking surface, gear means drivingly interconnecting saidflywheel and drive wheel to produce rotation of the flywheel responsiveto the oscillatory travel of the sweep member.

10. In a mechanical movement for actuating a driven member in a complexmotion pattern, in combination: a sweep member mounted for back andforth travel; crank means operatively connected to said sweep member foroperation to move the latter back and forth; a driven member and meansmounting same for reciprocatory movement on the sweep member; levermechanism carried by said sweep member and including an oscillatorylever and a reciprocatory lever; spring means providing a drivingconnection between said driven member and said reciprocatory member;rotatable pattern cam means carried by said sweep member and cooperablewith said oscillatory lever to move the latter in one direction, saidspring means acting to return said oscillatory lever in the oppositedirection through the agency of said reciprocatory lever; and motormeans having driving connection with said cam means and said crank meansfor respectively actuating the same.

EARLE G. HENRY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,061,577 Whitney May 13, 1913 2,310,085 Hooker Feb. 2, 19432,562,648 Sparrow July 31, 1951 2,572,146 Henry Oct. 23, 1951

